Parking assist system using light projections

ABSTRACT

A parking assist system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle. An image processor processes image data captured by the camera to determine presence of a wall or object present in the field of view of the camera. A light projecting device is disposed at the vehicle and operable to project a visual pattern toward an area encompassed by the field of view of the camera. During a parking maneuver, and responsive to determination that the vehicle is approaching the wall or object, the parking assist system controls the light projecting device to project the visual pattern toward the determined wall or object. The projected visual pattern is viewable by a driver of the vehicle during the parking maneuver, and the projected visual pattern is indicative of distance between the vehicle and the determined wall or object.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 62/369,347, filed Aug. 1, 2016, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle vision system for avehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicle vision system that utilizesone or more cameras at a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known.Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,949,331; 5,670,935 and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a driving assistance system or visionsystem or imaging system for a vehicle that utilizes one or more camerasto capture image data representative of images exterior of the vehicle,and provides display of captured video images to assist a person (suchas the driver of the vehicle or such as a person supervising anautonomous or semi-autonomous driving maneuver) during a reversing orparking maneuver of the vehicle. The system includes a light projectingdevice at the vehicle and operable to project an alert or visual patterntoward an area encompassed by the field of view of the camera. During aparking maneuver of the vehicle, and responsive to determination, viaimage processing by said image processor of captured image data, thatthe vehicle is approaching a wall or object, the parking assist systemcontrols the light projecting device to project the alert or visualpattern onto the determined wall or object. The projected alert isviewable at the determined wall or object by a driver of the vehicleduring the parking maneuver, and the projected alert is indicative ofdistance between the vehicle and the determined wall or object (wherethe distance may be determine by a distance measuring device of thevehicle, such as a RADAR sensing system of the vehicle, a LIDAR sensingsystem of the vehicle or an ultrasonic sensing system of the vehicle orthe like).

Optionally, the system may project a light pattern or icons or indiciaor colors onto objects, walls or the ground to provide to the person ordriver of the vehicle information pertaining to a determined object ofinterest (that may be in or moving into the path of travel of thevehicle during the reversing or parking maneuver). The projected lightpattern may be adjusted to provide a desired or appropriate pattern oricon or indicia, or the color of the light pattern may be adjusted toprovide the desired appearance of the images displayed to the person ordriver (images captured by a camera of the vehicle that has a field ofview exterior of the vehicle that encompasses the area or object atwhich the light pattern is projected).

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of thepresent invention will become apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a driving assist system thatincorporates cameras and light projecting devices in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a parking space scene within a parking structure such asseen from the rear of a vehicle when parking, with distance markings andarrows (colored, such as yellow) projected onto the ground and withcollision hazard highlighting (in form of colored hatches, such as redcross-hatching) projected around, at and in front of detected ordetermined collision objects;

FIG. 3 shows a frontal distance bar projection onto a wall at a moderatedistance as it would be visible from overtop the vehicle, shown with twobars filled;

FIG. 4 shows a frontal distance bar plus a ‘STOP’ text projection onto awall at a close distance as it would be visible from overtop thevehicle, shown with all of the bars filled; and

FIG. 5 is another view of the frontal distance bar and ‘STOP’ textprojection onto the wall in front of the vehicle at a close distance(with all of the bars filled), as it would be visible from in thevehicle cabin (no head up overlay).

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A vehicle vision system and/or driver assist system and/or objectdetection system and/or alert system operates to capture images exteriorof the vehicle and may process the captured image data to display imagesand to detect objects at or near the vehicle and in the predicted pathof the vehicle, such as to assist a driver of the vehicle in maneuveringthe vehicle in a rearward direction. The vision system includes an imageprocessor or image processing system that is operable to receive imagedata from one or more cameras and provide an output to a display devicefor displaying images representative of the captured image data.Optionally, the vision system may provide display, such as a rearviewdisplay or a top down or bird's eye or surround view display or thelike.

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depictedtherein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12that includes at least one exterior viewing imaging sensor or camera,such as a rearward viewing imaging sensor or camera 14 a (and the systemmay optionally include multiple exterior viewing imaging sensors orcameras, such as a forward viewing camera 14 b at the front (or at thewindshield) of the vehicle, and a sideward/rearward viewing camera 14 c,14 d at respective sides of the vehicle), which captures images exteriorof the vehicle, with the camera having a lens for focusing images at oronto an imaging array or imaging plane or imager of the camera (FIG. 1).Optionally, a forward viewing camera may be disposed at the windshieldof the vehicle and view through the windshield and forward of thevehicle, such as for a machine vision system (such as for traffic signrecognition, headlamp control, pedestrian detection, collisionavoidance, lane marker detection and/or the like). The vision system 12includes a control or electronic control unit (ECU) or processor 18 thatis operable to process image data captured by the camera or cameras andmay detect objects or the like and/or provide displayed images at adisplay device 16 for viewing by the driver of the vehicle (althoughshown in FIG. 1 as being part of or incorporated in or at an interiorrearview mirror assembly 20 of the vehicle, the control and/or thedisplay device may be disposed elsewhere at or in the vehicle). The datatransfer or signal communication from the camera to the ECU may compriseany suitable data or communication link, such as a vehicle network busor the like of the equipped vehicle.

The system includes at least one projection device 11 c (such as arearward projecting projection device at the rear of the vehicle). Thesystem may include additional projection devices 11 a and 11 b (such asforward projecting projection devices at the front of the vehicle),which may be integrated into the headlamp structure. The projectiondevices 11 a, 11 b and 11 c may also incorporate a light emitting andranging (LIDAR) or scanning function. The projection and Lidar functionmay be performed or controlled by an additional ECU or by the visionsystem's ECU 18.

Parking aid system human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are known. Someindicate acoustically the distance to a possible collision or hazardousobject in the path of vehicle travel by modulating a beep or tonesequence. Some have displays showing the distance to possible collisionor hazardous object in colored bars at an in-cabin display. Some combinethe displaying of bars with a real time vehicle environment imagetypically by overlaying (augmenting) the colored aids with the displayedreal time video images. Some systems show the real time vehicleenvironment image scene as top view scene images. The real time vehicleenvironment images may come from vehicle inherent cameras, such as rearcameras or multiple surround vision system cameras or the like, or thereal time vehicle environment images may comprise images transmittedfrom an outside structure or another vehicle by any suitablecommunication system, such as a V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) or V2X(vehicle-to-infrastructure) or the like, or via an analog signal channelsuch as NTSC or the like. Some vehicle image processing systems areoperable to determine the presence of possible or potentially hazardousobjects (that may be in a projected or predicted path of travel of theequipped vehicle or may be moving towards or into the projected path oftravel of the equipped vehicle, such that there is a potential collisionwith the determined object) by image processing (of image data capturedby one or more RGB or infrared (IR) cameras), and some detect objectsand the environmental scene by using LIDAR sensing systems, which eitherdetect the environment using structured light (including fringe lightpattern or color pattern) or time of flight (TOF) systems (flash type orscanning type), and some detect objects and the environmental scene byusing non-vision sensors such as ultrasound or RADAR sensing systems.

A vehicle may include light bulb, LED and/or LASER light sources mountedto illuminate the outside to project a light pattern to nearbystructures, walls or the ground outside and at or around the vehicle.Often the light used for machine vision systems is in non-visualwavelengths such as IR.

The present invention provides a parking assist system that utilizeslight sources to assist in highlighting objects determined to be presentin the field of view of a camera of the vehicle and determined to be anobject of interest to the driver of the vehicle, such as during aparking maneuver of the vehicle, such as shown in the example of FIG. 2.When parking a vehicle within a dense structure, the remaining distanceto nearby detected collision hazard objects may be projected onto the(real) objects, close walls or onto the ground by vehicle inherent lightsources, such as projectors (such as, for example, LCD projectors, DLPprojectors, LED projectors, LCoS projectors or LASER projectors) or suchas by (standalone) LASERS, which may be directed by a rotating or movingmirror or microelectromechanical (MEM) systems (for example a MEM mirroroscillating (or scanning) in two axis), OLED or LED matrix beams, orsuch as by mechanically adjusted lamp's beams.

The projected aids may comprise characters, bars or arrows or otherindicia or icons or the like (see FIGS. 2-5). The projections mayoptionally have animated film-sequences or images in sequence. Insteadof the visual aids being overlayed on displayed images, the distanceindicator may, for example, comprise a light projection in a shape of afan or curtain which continuously shuts or closes up the more narrow acollision hazardous object gets to the vehicle, optionally indicatingthe nearest potential collision or hazardous object. A visualization ofthe distance by bar indicators of different height and being more andmore filled with closing distance is familiar from display basedvisualizations. The distance between the vehicle and the determinedobject (or wall or structure) may be determined via a distance sensingdevice or system of the vehicle, such as a RADAR sensing system or anUltrasonic sensing system or a LIDAR sensing system or a vision basedsensing system or the like.

For example, a solution with such bars, but being projected by thesystem according the invention is shown in FIGS. 3-5. FIGS. 4 and 5 maybe in sequence to FIG. 3. The projected alert comprises a plurality ofvertically-oriented bars, with the bars projected as “empty” or “filled”depending on the distance of the vehicle from the determined wall (orobject). For example, when at a first threshold distance from the wall,only the shortest bar (or bars) may be filled, with the next taller barsbeing progressively filled as the vehicle further approaches the wall(and moves to be within a second threshold distance and then a thirdthreshold distance, etc.). The vehicle's clearance to the detected wallis diminished in FIGS. 4 and 5 (as compared to FIG. 3), and thus morebars are filled in FIGS. 4 and 5 (as compared to FIG. 3). When thevehicle is within a smallest threshold distance, the projected alert mayinclude a “stop” alert (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that indicates to the driverof the vehicle that the vehicle is very close to the determined wall (orobject) and should be stopped to avoid impact with the wall or object.The stop alert may be projected after the tallest bar (or bars) arefilled or at the same time that the tallest bar (or bars) are filled. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the stop alert is disposed between twospaced apart sets of bars (arranged in a staircase manner with thetallest bars toward the center or stop alert and the shorter barslaterally outboard of the tallest bars and stop alert).

Modern vehicle parking assist systems allow the driver to leave thevehicle and supervise the parking maneuver, which is executedautomatically by the vehicle. The supervising may be done using a smartphone. In some systems, the vehicle transmits a top view (or bird's eyeview) composed out of typically four individual vehicle cameras' imagesto the smart phone. Potentially detected collision hazards arehighlighted in the smart phone top view image. Since it us comparablyinconvenient to supervise the vehicle's rear maneuvering while lookingat a smart phone display, the solution of the present invention toproject the maneuvering aids into the real scene is advantageous. FIGS.3 and 4 show exemplary parking scenes as seen by a person outside thevehicle, while FIG. 5 shows an exemplary parking scene as seen by aperson (such as a driver or occupant of the vehicle) inside the vehicle.

Typical for smart phone autonomous parking aids is that the vehicle isenabled to move (or act) autonomously as long as the driver holds abutton on the smart phone. To make the smart phone fully obsolete, theautonomous parking/driving/acting approval may optionally be solved byprojecting an icon or button on the ground. The driver (or anybody elseresponsible) may have to step into the projection for releasing thevehicle to move. The release may be discontinued when the driver stepsout of the projected icon or button. Optionally, the driver may beidentified by an optional identification system which may optionally bevisual based, or may comprise any vehicle sensor, or may comprise akeyless entry go key (or fob) based, or may comprise a smart phonelocalization in the driver's pocket (such as near field-based,WiFi-based, UMTS-based, optical-based or sound-based).

Projection solutions for forward driving applications especially forautonomous driving, such as forward path and lane highlighting or visualinteraction with crossing pedestrians, may be implemented.

From top view and rear view parking aid vehicle or smart phonedisplaying system solutions, visual parking and hazard highlighting aidsmay be overlayed on the displayed images in any desired color, and thedistance indicators may change color or blink as the vehicle movescloser to a potential collision hazardous object. In accordance with thesystem of the present invention, the aids or icons or the like may beinstead or additionally projected onto outside objects, walls or towardsthe ground (so as to be within the field of view of the camera orcameras such that captured image data and the video images displayedtherefrom match the projected color pattern). Optionally, the color ofthe projected aids may change according to the color of the ground,walls or the object's surface color (for example, if the object or wallor ground is a color other than yellow, the color of the projected aidmay be yellow, but if the object or wall or ground is yellow, the colorof the projected aid may be red or blue or other non-yellow).

Optionally, the system may have at least one camera, such as a rearcamera, to capture image data representative of the vehicle'senvironment. Optionally, the camera may be used also or just fordetecting the surrounding scene, walls and collision object's lightintensity and color reflection, its patterns and/or the object's textureor roughness for being reflected in the projection control.

Optionally, the system's control may adapt the color and light beampattern in a way so that the projected parking aid appears in apreferred manner. Optionally, it may be preferred that the parking aidprojection appears substantially homogeneous also at the ground'ssurface or object's surface, which may have an inhomogeneous colorpattern. Optionally, it may be preferred that the parking aid projectionappears substantially in a well color and/or (reflected) light intensitycontrast to its underground or background. The adaption may be made byconsidering the resulting (reflecting) light intensity and colorspectrum when an object body is subtractively absorbing the lightintensity of certain color spectrums of its according color (or areawith that color) together with the color spectrum of the light sourcewhich acts additive to the visual appearing color mix. By controllingthe light source color in specifically desired areas of the light beamfor the visual aid, the resulting color can be controlled (for a certaininstance due to the limited color intensity range of the light source).

Optionally, it may be preferred that the parking aid projection appearsmost color intense or most bright on the objects of the most interest,such as, for example, at a parking space that is best or preferred inone of convenience, safety, parking fee, vehicle wear (taking intoaccount weather conditions, since a parking deck on the structures topmay be exposed to sun, rain and snow), parking maximum time, availableor best service (e.g., electric vehicle charging service, parking guardservice, carry home service or such like), on the nearest object, or thefastest moving object, or the most hazardous object or the like.

Optionally, the projection system may comprise a two axis (twodimensional or 2D) MEM mirror paired with a LED or LEDs or LASER orLASERS that emits light in one or more colors. Optionally, theprojection device(s) is/are paired with one or multiple environmentalscene detection devices, such as a LASER scanning LIDAR. Optionally, theprojection device(s) and optional multiple environmental scene detectiondevice(s) is/are paired with one or more illumination devices, such asvehicle headlamps or search lights or coming home lights or tail lights.Optionally, the paired systems may use or occupy one common or multiplecommon assembly space(s) at the vehicle, such as the vehicle's headlight assembly. Optionally, the paired systems may use one common ormultiple common MEM mirror(s) for emitting or receiving light.Optionally, the paired systems may use invisible wavelengths, such asinfrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV), for environmental scene detection(optionally multi-spectrum/channel) and visible wavelengths fordriver/user information projections. Optionally, the scanning system isoperable to analyze the scene objects or ground spectrum for acquiringadditional scene properties. Optionally, the system may be fused with aRADAR sensing system.

Optionally, the scanning system (with camera or LIDAR) may incorporateor comprise a light communication functionality (VLC), such as byutilizing aspects of the systems described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/583,112, filed May 1, 2017 (Attorney Docket MAG04 P-3018),which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.Optionally, the VLC may span a grid from peer to peer, which maycomprise multiple active or optionally also parked vehicles andoptionally an infrastructure peer. The infrastructure peer may beconnected to the internet and may be incorporated at the parkingstructure. Optionally, the infrastructure may have projection unitsinstalled as well which are optionally paired with the VLC capableillumination devices. These may also project driving and parking aids toapproaching vehicles and pedestrians. Optionally, parking structures mayguide incoming vehicles to free parking spaces or leaving vehicles outof the building by using guiding projections (path bars, arrows, icons)and/or VLC.

Optionally, the scanning system with camera or LIDAR may incorporate orcomprise a functionality to detect tags attached to the ground or wallsof a parking structure, tunnel or outside for GPS redundant precise egopositioning or object identification, such as described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/583,112, incorporated above.

Optionally, the system according to the present invention, especiallythe collision hazard detection system, may be combined with a dooropening, hatch or trunk lid collision avoidance control system such asdescribed in U.S. Publication No. US-2014-0218529, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In there the use ofstructured light was suggested. The laser projector of the presentinvention may find additional use for such an application by optionallyfirst projecting structured light for scene detection when a door, hatchor trunk lid is opening, and second projecting warning hazards (e.g.,projected bars), limiting object distances (e.g., projecting theremaining space in centimeters) or illuminating hazard objects (e.g., toallow the user the possibility to remove an object that is within theprospected path of an opening sweep, such as a bicycle standing next toa vehicle that has doors that are to be opened automatically).

Optionally, the vehicle projection control system of the presentinvention may be extendable to additional projection units which getattached to the vehicle, such as projection units mounted at a coupledor decoupled trailer connected to the vehicle system by wire orconnected wirelessly. The projector on the trailer may project drivingaids as well and may optionally also have a distance detection function(scanning). This may be beneficial when a trailer gets parked in aparking space, especially when the trailer parking is fully automated orpartially automated.

Optionally, and as another aspect of the present invention, the systemmay also work when the vehicle is parked, and optionally in a controlledmanner in terms of power consumption. Optionally, and especially whenthe vehicle is an electric vehicle (which may have a separate chargingdevice plugged in), the environmental scanning and light projection maybe used to aid foreign or other vehicles, cyclists, motorcycles andpedestrian by illuminating the scene and to aid in collision hazardsituations. For example, the system may provide assistance whenpedestrians hidden by parked cars are approaching an area with trafficby detecting the presence and path of the pedestrian(s) and byprojecting hazard warnings and by transmitting their position anddirection (and optionally the predicted path) via VLC or radio V2X orV2V to other traffic participants (optionally within a parkingstructure). The pedestrian detection and the transmission (of any kind)of their position and walking path when the ego vehicle is parked mayutilize aspects of the systems described in U.S. publication No.US-2014-0218529, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Optionally, the system according to the present invention may provideassistance by illuminating and projecting rescue or escape paths toescape rooms or escape doors when the vehicle is parked or driven incase of an emergency or seeking rescue or an escape situation such as afire, flood, avalanche, earthquake, tornado, pyroclastic flow, volcanooutbreak, building collapse, hazardous nuclear-, bio- orgas-contamination, rage, panic, violence, criminal, terrorist or warattack (emergency and structure information via V2V or X2V). Optionally,the system may also aid police-, military-, ambulance- or fireman/womanto assist endangered civilians, such as for rescuing civilians,capturing criminals or distinguishing a fire, especially when structuresare filled with dense smoke.

The system may utilize aspects of the parking assist systems describedin U.S. Pat. No. 8,874,317 and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2017-0050672;US-2017-0017847; US-2017-0015312 and/or US-2015-0344028 and/or U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/586,605, filed May 4, 2017 (AttorneyDocket MAG04 P-3025), and/or Ser. No. 15/446,218, filed Mar. 1, 2017(Attorney Docket MAG04 P-2953), which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

The system may also communicate with other systems, such as via avehicle-to-vehicle communication system or a vehicle-to-infrastructurecommunication system or the like. Such car2car or vehicle to vehicle(V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (car2X or V2X or V2I or 4G or 5G)technology provides for communication between vehicles and/orinfrastructure based on information provided by one or more vehiclesand/or information provided by a remote server or the like. Such vehiclecommunication systems may utilize aspects of the systems described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,690,268; 6,693,517 and/or 7,580,795, and/or U.S.Publication Nos. US-2014-0375476; US-2014-0218529; US-2013-0222592;US-2012-0218412; US-2012-0062743; US-2015-0251599; US-2015-0158499;US-2015-0124096; US-2015-0352953; US-2016-0036917 and/orUS-2016-0210853, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

The camera or sensor may comprise any suitable camera or sensor.Optionally, the camera may comprise a “smart camera” that includes theimaging sensor array and associated circuitry and image processingcircuitry and electrical connectors and the like as part of a cameramodule, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systems described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2013/081984 and/or WO 2013/081985,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The system includes an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by the camera or cameras, such as for detecting objects orother vehicles or pedestrians or the like in the field of view of one ormore of the cameras. For example, the image processor may comprise animage processing chip selected from the EyeQ family of image processingchips available from Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd. of Jerusalem,Israel, and may include object detection software (such as the typesdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,855,755; 7,720,580 and/or 7,038,577, whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties), andmay analyze image data to detect vehicles and/or other objects.Responsive to such image processing, and when an object or other vehicleis detected, the system may generate an alert to the driver of thevehicle and/or may generate an overlay at the displayed image tohighlight or enhance display of the detected object or vehicle, in orderto enhance the driver's awareness of the detected object or vehicle orhazardous condition during a driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

The imaging sensor or camera may capture image data for image processingand may comprise any suitable camera or sensing device, such as, forexample, a two dimensional array of a plurality of photosensor elementsarranged in at least 640 columns and 480 rows (at least a 640×480imaging array, such as a megapixel imaging array or the like), with arespective lens focusing images onto respective portions of the array.The photosensor array may comprise a plurality of photosensor elementsarranged in a photosensor array having rows and columns. Preferably, theimaging array has at least 300,000 photosensor elements or pixels, morepreferably at least 500,000 photosensor elements or pixels and morepreferably at least 1 million photosensor elements or pixels. Theimaging array may capture color image data, such as via spectralfiltering at the array, such as via an RGB (red, green and blue) filteror via a red/red complement filter or such as via an RCC (red, clear,clear) filter or the like. The logic and control circuit of the imagingsensor may function in any known manner, and the image processing andalgorithmic processing may comprise any suitable means for processingthe images and/or image data.

For example, the vision system and/or processing and/or camera and/orcircuitry may utilize aspects described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,233,641;9,146,898; 9,174,574; 9,090,234; 9,077,098; 8,818,042; 8,886,401;9,077,962; 9,068,390; 9,140,789; 9,092,986; 9,205,776; 8,917,169;8,694,224; 7,005,974; 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,796,094; 5,949,331;6,222,447; 6,302,545; 6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202;6,201,642; 6,690,268; 6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452;6,822,563; 6,891,563; 6,946,978; 7,859,565; 5,550,677; 5,670,935;6,636,258; 7,145,519; 7,161,616; 7,230,640; 7,248,283; 7,295,229;7,301,466; 7,592,928; 7,881,496; 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 6,882,287;5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772, and/or U.S. Publication Nos.US-2014-0340510; US-2014-0313339; US-2014-0347486; US-2014-0320658;US-2014-0336876; US-2014-0307095; US-2014-0327774; US-2014-0327772;US-2014-0320636; US-2014-0293057; US-2014-0309884; US-2014-0226012;US-2014-0293042; US-2014-0218535; US-2014-0218535; US-2014-0247354;US-2014-0247355; US-2014-0247352; US-2014-0232869; US-2014-0211009;US-2014-0160276; US-2014-0168437; US-2014-0168415; US-2014-0160291;US-2014-0152825; US-2014-0139676; US-2014-0138140; US-2014-0104426;US-2014-0098229; US-2014-0085472; US-2014-0067206; US-2014-0049646;US-2014-0052340; US-2014-0025240; US-2014-0028852; US-2014-005907;US-2013-0314503; US-2013-0298866; US-2013-0222593; US-2013-0300869;US-2013-0278769; US-2013-0258077; US-2013-0258077; US-2013-0242099;US-2013-0215271; US-2013-0141578 and/or US-2013-0002873, which are allhereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The systemmay communicate with other communication systems via any suitable means,such as by utilizing aspects of the systems described in InternationalPublication Nos. WO 2010/144900; WO 2013/043661 and/or WO 2013/081985,and/or U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,525, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

Optionally, the vision system may include a display for displayingimages captured by one or more of the imaging sensors for viewing by thedriver of the vehicle while the driver is normally operating thevehicle. Optionally, for example, the vision system may include a videodisplay device, such as by utilizing aspects of the video displaysystems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240; 6,329,925; 7,855,755;7,626,749; 7,581,859; 7,446,650; 7,338,177; 7,274,501; 7,255,451;7,195,381; 7,184,190; 5,668,663; 5,724,187; 6,690,268; 7,370,983;7,329,013; 7,308,341; 7,289,037; 7,249,860; 7,004,593; 4,546,551;5,699,044; 4,953,305; 5,576,687; 5,632,092; 5,677,851; 5,708,410;5,737,226; 5,802,727; 5,878,370; 6,087,953; 6,173,508; 6,222,460;6,513,252 and/or 6,642,851, and/or U.S. Publication Nos.US-2012-0162427; US-2006-0050018 and/or US-2006-0061008, which are allhereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Optionally,the vision system (utilizing the forward viewing camera and a rearwardviewing camera and other cameras disposed at the vehicle with exteriorfields of view) may be part of or may provide a display of a top-downview or birds-eye view system of the vehicle or a surround view at thevehicle, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systems described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2010/099416; WO 2011/028686; WO2012/075250; WO 2013/019795; WO 2012/075250; WO 2012/145822; WO2013/081985; WO 2013/086249 and/or WO 2013/109869, and/or U.S.Publication No. US-2012-0162427, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments canbe carried out without departing from the principles of the invention,which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent lawincluding the doctrine of equivalents.

1. A parking assist system for a vehicle, said parking assist systemcomprising: a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of viewexterior of the vehicle; an image processor operable to process imagedata captured by said camera; wherein said image processor, viaprocessing of image data captured by said camera, is operable todetermine presence of a wall or object present in the field of view ofsaid camera; a light projecting device disposed at the vehicle andoperable to project a visual pattern; wherein, during a parking maneuverof the vehicle and responsive to determination, via image processing bysaid image processor of captured image data, that the vehicle isapproaching the determined wall or object, said parking assist systemcontrols said light projecting device to project the visual pattern ontothe determined wall or object; wherein the projected visual pattern isviewable at the determined wall or object by a driver of the vehicleduring the parking maneuver; wherein a distance measuring system of thevehicle is operable to determine distance between the vehicle and thedetermined wall or object; and wherein the projected visual pattern isindicative of the determined distance.
 2. The parking assist system ofclaim 1, wherein a degree of illumination of the projected visualpattern is responsive to the determined distance between the vehicle andthe determined wall or object.
 3. The parking assist system of claim 1,wherein the projected visual pattern comprises a plurality of bars, andwherein an amount of the bars that are filled in is responsive to thedetermined distance between the vehicle and the determined wall orobject.
 4. The parking assist system of claim 3, wherein more bars arefilled in as the vehicle approaches the determined wall or object. 5.The parking assist system of claim 3, wherein the projected visualpattern comprises a plurality of vertically oriented bars havingdifferent heights.
 6. The parking assist system of claim 5, wherein afirst bar of the plurality of vertically oriented bars is filled whenthe determined distance is less than a first threshold distance and asecond bar of the plurality of vertically oriented bars is filled whenthe determined distance is less than a second threshold distance, andwherein the second bar has a height greater than a height of the firstbar and the second threshold distance is lower than the first thresholddistance.
 7. The parking assist system of claim 1, wherein said parkingassist system controls said light projecting device to project a stopalert when said parking assist system determines that the vehicle isless than a threshold distance to the wall or object.
 8. The parkingassist system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to determination, viaimage processing by said image processor of captured image data, of anobject of interest present in the field of view of said camera, saidparking assist system controls a light source of the vehicle to projecta light pattern toward the determined object of interest, and wherein adisplay device is operable to display video images representative ofcaptured image data, and wherein, when a person views the displayedvideo images, the projected light pattern is viewable by the person ator on the determined object interest.
 9. The parking assist system ofclaim 8, wherein the projected light pattern comprises an icon orindicia to alert the person of the determined object of interest. 10.The parking assist system of claim 8, wherein said control adjusts theprojected light pattern responsive to a determined degree of hazardpertaining to the determined object of interest.
 11. The parking assistsystem of claim 8, wherein said control adjusts a color of the projectedlight pattern responsive to a determined degree of hazard pertaining tothe determined object of interest.
 12. The parking assist system ofclaim 8, wherein said control adjusts a color of the projected lightpattern responsive to a determined color of the ground or the determinedobject's surface.
 13. The parking assist system of claim 8, wherein saiddisplay device is part of a mobile device exterior of the vehicle. 14.The parking assist system of claim 1, wherein said distance measuringsystem comprises one of (i) a RADAR sensing system of the vehicle, (ii)a LIDAR sensing system of the vehicle and (iii) an ultrasonic sensingsystem of the vehicle.
 15. A parking assist system for a vehicle, saidparking assist system comprising: a camera disposed at a vehicle andhaving a field of view forward of the vehicle; an image processoroperable to process image data captured by said camera; wherein saidimage processor, via processing of image data captured by said camera,is operable to determine presence of a wall present in the field of viewof said camera; a light projecting device disposed at the vehicle andoperable to project a visual pattern forward of the vehicle; wherein,during a parking maneuver of the vehicle, and responsive todetermination, via image processing by said image processor of capturedimage data, that the vehicle is approaching the determined wall, saidparking assist system controls said light projecting device to projectthe visual pattern onto the determined wall; wherein the projectedvisual pattern is viewable at the determined wall by a driver of thevehicle during the parking maneuver; wherein a distance measuring systemof the vehicle is operable to determine distance between the vehicle andthe determined wall or object; wherein the projected visual pattern isindicative of the determined distance; and wherein a degree ofillumination of the projected visual pattern is responsive to thedetermined distance between the vehicle and the determined wall orobject, and wherein greater illumination of the projected visual patternis provided as the vehicle approaches closer to the determined wall. 16.The parking assist system of claim 15, wherein said parking assistsystem controls said light projecting device to project a stop alertwhen said parking assist system determines that the vehicle is less thana threshold distance to the wall.
 17. A parking assist system for avehicle, said parking assist system comprising: a camera disposed at avehicle and having a field of view forward of the vehicle; an imageprocessor operable to process image data captured by said camera;wherein said image processor, via processing of image data captured bysaid camera, is operable to determine presence of a wall present in thefield of view of said camera; a light projecting device disposed at thevehicle and operable to project a visual pattern forward of the vehicle;wherein, during a parking maneuver of the vehicle, and responsive todetermination, via image processing by said image processor of capturedimage data, that the vehicle is approaching the determined wall, saidparking assist system controls said light projecting device to projectthe visual pattern onto the determined wall; wherein the projectedvisual pattern is viewable at the determined wall by a driver of thevehicle during the parking maneuver; wherein a distance measuring systemof the vehicle is operable to determine distance between the vehicle andthe determined wall or object; wherein the projected visual pattern isindicative of the determined distance; and wherein the projected visualpattern comprises a plurality of bars, and wherein an amount of the barsthat are filled in is responsive to the determined distance between thevehicle and the determined wall, and wherein more bars are filled in asthe vehicle approaches closer to the determined wall.
 18. The parkingassist system of claim 17, wherein the projected visual patterncomprises a plurality of vertically oriented bars having differentheights, and wherein a first bar of the plurality of vertically orientedbars is filled when the determined distance is less than a firstthreshold distance and a second bar of the plurality of verticallyoriented bars is filled when the determined distance is less than asecond threshold distance, and wherein the second bar has a heightgreater than a height of the first bar and the second threshold distanceis lower than the first threshold distance.
 19. The parking assistsystem of claim 18, wherein said parking assist system controls saidlight projecting device to project a stop alert when said parking assistsystem determines that the vehicle is less than a threshold distance tothe wall, and wherein the stop alert is projected between two of thevertically oriented bars.
 20. The parking assist system of claim 17,wherein said parking assist system controls said light projecting deviceto project a stop alert when said parking assist system determines thatthe vehicle is less than a threshold distance to the wall.